to meet us in the bar in a few minutes.”
“Sure thing. I’l cal you on your cel when he’s done.” Then the door in the next booth closed, and a woman walked by.
Flood’s mouth locked open.
It was Carol.
She sauntered by, jingling keys in her hand.
When she was gone, the men talked further.
Oscar: “She ain’t on to us.”
“Yeah, the bitch is so arrogant, thinks she can get over on anyone.”
“Never even knew her real name was Ann. Guess that’s what she goes by when she’s working behind my back for Phipps. Ain’t that some shit?”
“Yeah, well. She’s got a new name now: dead meat.”
“Let’s have a drink in the bar, then go up.”
“Fine by me. Man, I can’t wait to punch this bitch’s ticket...”
Still as a stone, Flood remained in the booth. Leon and Oscar walked out of the cove.
They’re going to do it, Flood’s thoughts grated like ratchets. They’re going to be killing Carol in a few minutes...
The phone felt melted in his hand. The numbers on the buttons blurred in his vision, and as his shaking index finger trembled forward, a sound like distant turbine filled his head.
Wait a minute...
Flood never dialed. He got a better idea instead. He left the phone hanging and walked out of the booth. A spit-and-polish concierge smiled stiffly when Flood approached. “How may I be of service, sir?”
“Where’s the nearest Bank of America? I’ve got an emergency.”
The concierge pointed toward the front. “There’s one right across the street...”
Flood stared at the metal numbers: 415.
He gulped once, then knocked.
The low voices inside ceased when his knuckles rapped against the door. Leon’s probably looking through the peephole right now, Flood deduced with a scared smile. He didn’t give a shit anymore. He knocked again, then held his cell phone up before the peephole. “Open up or I’m calling the cops. .”
The door to Room 415 clicked, then yawned open.
Flood wasn’t surprised when he stepped in and found Oscar’s pistol to his head. “Easy, pal. I’ve got business to discuss. And don’t shit a brick. I know you’re about to kill the girl.”
Oscar glared in silent rage, his bald pate nearly quivering. He shoved Flood into the main room where Leon stood.
“He says he knows about Carol,” Oscar said. “What the fuck’s going on?”
Leon gaped at Flood. “You...”
Flood surrendered his cell phone to Oscar, then nodded to Leon. “You remember me. From the elevator?”
“Jack... Flood?”
“Makes sense you’d remember faces and names, you being a pimp and all—”
Leon was aghast. “Oscar, who is this guy? Why is he here?”
“I’m here to talk business,” Flood began, smiling in spite of an effusion of sweat. “Of course, you guys can kill me right now, and no one would know.”
“Oh, we can kill you, all right,” Oscar began.
“Right, and you’d be stupid, which is par for the course so far.” Flood noticed a closed door behind them. That’s the bedroom... “First of all, you guys talk way too loud. I overheard several of your conversations in the phone cove downstairs.” He pointed to the closed door. “And there’s a couple-inch gap between those pink curtains in there. You both are about as sharp as Oscar’s head.”
Leon and Oscar remained stiff where they stood.
“I saw you beat up Jinny two nights ago,” Flood finished. “And I saw what you did to Therese last night. You guys really take the cake for sick motherfuckers.”
Leon’s eyes bloomed toward Oscar. “I don’t believe this shit, Oscar. What are we gonna do with this guy?”
“I got a couple ideas,” Oscar said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Flood chuckled. It was beyond him how he could be keeping his cool amid these killers. “Look, I know you got Carol in the bedroom—er, I guess her real name’s Ann. I’d like to see her. What’s the big deal? You guys got a gun on me. Let’s go in there and talk business.”
Leon’s face remained stamped
“Sure thing. I’l cal you on your cel when he’s done.” Then the door in the next booth closed, and a woman walked by.
Flood’s mouth locked open.
It was Carol.
She sauntered by, jingling keys in her hand.
When she was gone, the men talked further.
Oscar: “She ain’t on to us.”
“Yeah, the bitch is so arrogant, thinks she can get over on anyone.”
“Never even knew her real name was Ann. Guess that’s what she goes by when she’s working behind my back for Phipps. Ain’t that some shit?”
“Yeah, well. She’s got a new name now: dead meat.”
“Let’s have a drink in the bar, then go up.”
“Fine by me. Man, I can’t wait to punch this bitch’s ticket...”
Still as a stone, Flood remained in the booth. Leon and Oscar walked out of the cove.
They’re going to do it, Flood’s thoughts grated like ratchets. They’re going to be killing Carol in a few minutes...
The phone felt melted in his hand. The numbers on the buttons blurred in his vision, and as his shaking index finger trembled forward, a sound like distant turbine filled his head.
Wait a minute...
Flood never dialed. He got a better idea instead. He left the phone hanging and walked out of the booth. A spit-and-polish concierge smiled stiffly when Flood approached. “How may I be of service, sir?”
“Where’s the nearest Bank of America? I’ve got an emergency.”
The concierge pointed toward the front. “There’s one right across the street...”
Flood stared at the metal numbers: 415.
He gulped once, then knocked.
The low voices inside ceased when his knuckles rapped against the door. Leon’s probably looking through the peephole right now, Flood deduced with a scared smile. He didn’t give a shit anymore. He knocked again, then held his cell phone up before the peephole. “Open up or I’m calling the cops. .”
The door to Room 415 clicked, then yawned open.
Flood wasn’t surprised when he stepped in and found Oscar’s pistol to his head. “Easy, pal. I’ve got business to discuss. And don’t shit a brick. I know you’re about to kill the girl.”
Oscar glared in silent rage, his bald pate nearly quivering. He shoved Flood into the main room where Leon stood.
“He says he knows about Carol,” Oscar said. “What the fuck’s going on?”
Leon gaped at Flood. “You...”
Flood surrendered his cell phone to Oscar, then nodded to Leon. “You remember me. From the elevator?”
“Jack... Flood?”
“Makes sense you’d remember faces and names, you being a pimp and all—”
Leon was aghast. “Oscar, who is this guy? Why is he here?”
“I’m here to talk business,” Flood began, smiling in spite of an effusion of sweat. “Of course, you guys can kill me right now, and no one would know.”
“Oh, we can kill you, all right,” Oscar began.
“Right, and you’d be stupid, which is par for the course so far.” Flood noticed a closed door behind them. That’s the bedroom... “First of all, you guys talk way too loud. I overheard several of your conversations in the phone cove downstairs.” He pointed to the closed door. “And there’s a couple-inch gap between those pink curtains in there. You both are about as sharp as Oscar’s head.”
Leon and Oscar remained stiff where they stood.
“I saw you beat up Jinny two nights ago,” Flood finished. “And I saw what you did to Therese last night. You guys really take the cake for sick motherfuckers.”
Leon’s eyes bloomed toward Oscar. “I don’t believe this shit, Oscar. What are we gonna do with this guy?”
“I got a couple ideas,” Oscar said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Flood chuckled. It was beyond him how he could be keeping his cool amid these killers. “Look, I know you got Carol in the bedroom—er, I guess her real name’s Ann. I’d like to see her. What’s the big deal? You guys got a gun on me. Let’s go in there and talk business.”
Leon’s face remained stamped
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